1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to razors, and more particularly to a razor which is formed entirely of a glass material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, razors are formed of multiple parts, with each razor including at least a handle and a separate blade. The handle may be formed of metal or plastic, or a combination thereof, and at one end terminates in a blade holder for receiving the blade. The blade may be of a disposable type, which can be replaced in the blade holder of the handle, with the handle being reused, or the handle and the blade may both be disposable.
The blade usually is made of metal and is formed with a sharp cutting edge, although other materials, such as glass and ceramic have been proposed. For example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,555,214 to Wallach, 3,953,186 to Howey and 4,011,071 to Siegmund, disclose the use of razor blades formed of glass material. Further, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,543,402 to Seager discloses a razor blade formed of a ceramic material containing aluminum oxide.
Normally, the blade holder of the razor handle receives a single flat blade having a cutting edge on one side (single edge), or having cutting edges on opposite sides (double edge) of the blade. Other razor variations are known in which the blade has other cnfigurations and/or two or more blades are provided. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,325,662 to Clarke discloses a razor in which the blade is of an essentially cylindrical construction with a gap being provided in the blade to define a pair of opposed edge portions provided with respective cutting edges. The U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,764 to Welsh discloses a razor in which a razor handle terminates at one end in a pair of spaced opposed leg portions provided with respective razor blades which project from the leg portions at an angle in essentially opposed relationship to one another. Further, the U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,091 to Gagnon discloses a razor in which a razor handle is provided at one end with an essentially cylindrical blade holder having an axial slot and which receives an elongated rotatable member having a plurality of cutting blades mounted thereon. By rotating the rotatable member, the cutting blades can be selectively positioned to project through the axial slot in the blade holder one at a time.
In general, prior known razors as above described have been subjected to various disadvantages. For example, a razor in which the handle is formed entirely of metal generally is relatively expensive, not only because of the relatively high cost of most metals, but also because the metal which is utilized must be of a type which is resistant to rust and other types of corrosion. The same is true even where the razor handle is formed of a combination of metal and plastic. Further, where the blade is formed of one material and the handle is formed of another material, such as a metal blade in a handle which includes plastic, rinsing the razor during shaving under extremely hot (or extremely cold) water tends to cause different rates of expansion of the blade and the handle, thereby producing variations in the angle between the blade and the handle and reducing the efficiency of the razor during the shaving operation.
In addition, the use of a blade which is separate from the handle is undesirable for various reasons. For example, whiskers or hairs, and/or soap or shaving cream, tend to become embedded in the spaces between portions of the blade and the blade holder of the handle, or coated upon surfaces of the blade holder, making the razor extremely difficult to clean between shaves. This is particularly detrimental where the blade is intended to be disposable and replaced with a new blade periodically, with the handle being reused over an extended period of time, since the whiskers or hairs, and soap and/or shaving cream, tend to become entrenched within the blade holder of the handle. Another disadvantage of the blade and the handle being separate members is that a certain degree of precision is required in the manufacture of both the blade and the handle to ensure that the blade is disposed or receivable in the blade holder of the handle at the proper angle. Further, even where precision in manufacture initially is obtained, since the blade holder of the handle tends to wear during use, eventually the desired precise relationship between the blade and the protective edges of the blade holder deteriorates and the razor loses its shaving efficiency. Where the blade is of the disposable replaceable type, there also is a tendency to insert the new blade the wrong way into the blade holder, causing considerable aggravation to the user. In addition, where the blade is formed of metal, as has been noted above with reference to the use of metal handles, the blade must be formed of a relatively expensive rust-proof material.
Accordingly, a primary purpose of the subject invention is to provide a new and improved razor which is formed of an inexpensive corrosion-resistant material and which is not subject to the disadvantages of prior known razors as discussed hereinabove.